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use old search not showing up on Geocaching Site

kwvers!

By kwvers!,
in General geocaching topics

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colleda

+colleda

Posted
Posted

 

People get used to something then when its changed they can't cope regardless of improvements or enhancements.

I disagree. Some folks just prefer the old search, like some prefer a 1963 Corvette Stingray Split Window Coupe over a 2015 Z06.

That's a personal preference over functionality. Would you prefer the Corvette over a T ford?

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cezanne

cezanne

Posted
Posted

That's a personal preference over functionality.

 

Not necessarily. For example if the new layout for some people limits the functionality as not all columns are displayed properly or they need to scroll more than they want, this is

also an issue of functionality.

 

Likewise it is a major issue of functionality that the new search does not allow many very basic things for basic members which the old search allows (and always has allowed).

 

Try to use the new search in a meaningful way with basic member account in an area where the account has many caches logged as found and then come again and argue that it is only

about personal preference.

 

Not everyone is using the search to then map the results or download them - it could also be that the list is what someone wants to get and that list is of a quite different type

when it comes to the old and the new search. Both search variants have their advantages and drawbacks for different target groups and that will not change and does not depend

on how well someone is able to work with the new search.

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steben6

+steben6

Posted
Posted (edited)

Not going to get into specifics because many of them have already been covered, but I am one of the 1% that MUCH prefers the old search. And just because somebody else prefers the new search doesn't make me wrong and them right...it's just a preference. I've kept the old search on my favorites bar since the new one started.

And, yes, I have used the new search enough to know what I like better.

Edited by steben6
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hzoi

+hzoi

Posted
Posted

It is much eaiser to pull up an archived cache with the old system. I have been playing for 11 years and UI like the old way much more.

Curious. In my experience, neither the old nor new searches normally pull up any caches. Would you mind sharing how you get either to deliver results that include archived caches?

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Car54

+Car54

Posted
Posted

Another member of the 1% checking in - 12 years as a premium member - and I definitely prefer the old search. I don't want to have to "take a class", so to speak, to learn how to do something I can already do easily via the old search. As I get older - in my 60's now, I want to use more of my caching time actually caching, not fiddling with searches.

 

JMHO

Mrs. Car54

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The Rat

+The Rat

Posted
Posted (edited)

I don't like either the old or the new search, but between the two, I dislike the new one more. I always use Boulter's Geocaching Quick Search site. It's simple and intuitive and fast. It's not fancy looking and may not have all the power of the filtered new search (or it may - I don't know because I've never been able to figure out how to use the new search) but I've always been able to find what I want with it.

Edited by The Rat
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cezanne

cezanne

Posted
Posted

I don't like either the old or the new search, but between the two, I dislike the new one more. I always use Boulter's Geocaching Quick Search site. It's simple and intuitive and fast. It's not fancy looking and may not have all the power of the filtered new search (or it may - I don't know because I've never been able to figure out how to use the new search) but I've always been able to find what I want with it.

 

These quick search links however depend on the old search being functional on gc.com which I hope will not be changed in the future.

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Smithsonian NMNH

+Smithsonian NMNH

Posted
Posted

You may have noticed the addition of the “Gift The Gift…” banner to that page. With that design change, the Take Me To The Old Search link was not showing up well. That's why it was removed.

 

I can’t say for certain whether the link will return after the promotion ends. Fewer than 1% of visitors to that page click on the Take Me To The Old Search link. For that reason, it’s not one of the higher prioritized functions of the page.

 

That said, there are no imminent plans to retire the old search page. But it’s best to bookmark it if you want quick access: https://www.geocaching.com/seek

 

Please leave the old search. In this case, I am proudly one of the 1%-ers.

 

Next thing they will do is get rid of is pocket queries.

I started to laugh but then realized you could be right since i doubt most phone app users ever use them.

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HHL

+HHL

Posted
Posted

I need the old search I need to be able to find old caches and I like to view the most favored caches in a state or region. If this is possible on the new search page I haven't figured it out.

 

Searching for Favorites is only available with the New Search. Finding old caches with the New Search: Just sort the region searches result by date.

 

Hans

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noncentric

+noncentric

Posted
Posted

I need the old search I need to be able to find old caches and I like to view the most favored caches in a state or region. If this is possible on the new search page I haven't figured it out.

Both of the things you've noted are available using the new search. When you run a new search and get the search results, then you can click on the column headers to sort.

 

  • Find old caches - click on "Placed On" column to sort results from oldest to newest, click again to reverse the sort order
  • Most favored caches - click on "Favorites" column to sort results in descending order, click again to sort in ascending order

 

If you still don't like the New Search, then you can get back to the old search here: www.geocaching.com/seek/

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cezanne

cezanne

Posted
Posted

I need the old search I need to be able to find old caches and I like to view the most favored caches in a state or region. If this is possible on the new search page I haven't figured it out.

 

Searching for Favorites is only available with the New Search.

 

But finding the most favoured caches in a state or region is possible for PMs with the old search too and probably in a more intuitive manner to those who are used to the old search and prefer a one step approach (the reason is that finding all caches in a state is easier for them with the old search and they do not need to change the approach many have used for years). The new search is in several aspects more powerful for PMs than the old but it requires an adaptation which not everyone is happy to have to invest.

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thebruce0

+thebruce0

Posted
Posted

I'd be interested in seeing GS's stats for how many users

A] Use the new search by ONLY entering a query in the initial search box and viewing the result

B] How many perform a search by A] and then open additional filters to make adjustements, and

C] How many users leave the initial search field blank and go straight into the additional filters dialogue

 

To me that would indicate how significant the design of the new search page is, having only the 'simplified' initial appearance of the unified (but not really) search entry box.

 

As mentioned earlier (and really since the new search was launched) there's been confusion over what the search box actually searches, primarily in regards to location (center point or region), as well as text, or gc, etc. A visibly single one-stop search field (like google's) would be expected to somehow understand what it is you're looking for, and still be flexible enough to override if desired (like google's extra search commands and parameters).

Google implemented their unified search field much better, IMO, than the new search.

 

And I haven't used the old search for.. well since I can't remember. But I bookmark all my regularly used website pages and URLs, including common new search filter sets. In my mobile app, I've even bookmarked the new search filter method to find out of a cache has been found by someone or not (center on the GC code, auto-populate Not-Found-By, sort by distance, and if the GC is the first one in the list, then it's not found by that user). Of course there could be easier ways, but browser bookmarks can be quite powerful (for now).

 

IMO, the new search is far more flexible and powerful, but as also mentioned earlier, its biggest shortcoming is its data exporting; lack of PQ integration or direct results downloading to various devices. Its second shortcoming, imo, is the UI and basic usability/learning curve (and help resources).

Apart from those two relatively significant factors, the old search is not functionally better. (and no I'm not as concerned about non-paying/supporting member support - GS can decide to what degree they're willing to support out of their pocket the users who wish to use their services for free - and I support that mainly because permium membership is worth it =P)

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niraD

+niraD

Posted
Posted
RE: "I started to laugh but then realized you could be right since i doubt most phone app users ever use them."

 

I find the app more useful because I do have my pocket queries available.

Ditto. PQs are essential when I'm using my eXplorist, but I do most of my geocaching with my phone, and PQs make the apps much more useful.
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losel2

+losel2

Posted
Posted

You may have noticed the addition of the “Gift The Gift…” banner to that page. With that design change, the Take Me To The Old Search link was not showing up well. That's why it was removed.

 

I can’t say for certain whether the link will return after the promotion ends. Fewer than 1% of visitors to that page click on the Take Me To The Old Search link. For that reason, it’s not one of the higher prioritized functions of the page.

 

That said, there are no imminent plans to retire the old search page. But it’s best to bookmark it if you want quick access: https://www.geocaching.com/seek

Thanks Rock Chalk for this url. I too like the old search because I can put in a few words of the name of a cache and it will find it, not so with the updated one. You have to have a lot of the information already to find the cache page with the newer one. I use it to find those caches I don't have all the info on. Hope it comes back like it was so we could chose.

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noncentric

+noncentric

Posted
Posted

I too like the old search because I can put in a few words of the name of a cache and it will find it, not so with the updated one. You have to have a lot of the information already to find the cache page with the newer one. I use it to find those caches I don't have all the info on. Hope it comes back like it was so we could chose.

Have you tried using the 'new' search and the "Geocache Name Contains ..." filter? You can put in part of a cache's name to find it. You don't have to know how the cache name BEGINS, just what the cache name CONTAINS. Seems that would be better than having to know what the cache name starts with, the way the 'old' search worked.

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medoug

medoug

Posted
Posted

I too like the old search because I can put in a few words of the name of a cache and it will find it, not so with the updated one. You have to have a lot of the information already to find the cache page with the newer one. I use it to find those caches I don't have all the info on. Hope it comes back like it was so we could chose.

Have you tried using the 'new' search and the "Geocache Name Contains ..." filter? You can put in part of a cache's name to find it. You don't have to know how the cache name BEGINS, just what the cache name CONTAINS. Seems that would be better than having to know what the cache name starts with, the way the 'old' search worked.

 

noncentric,

That feature is not available to non premium members on the new search page.

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noncentric

+noncentric

Posted
Posted

I too like the old search because I can put in a few words of the name of a cache and it will find it, not so with the updated one. You have to have a lot of the information already to find the cache page with the newer one. I use it to find those caches I don't have all the info on. Hope it comes back like it was so we could chose.

Have you tried using the 'new' search and the "Geocache Name Contains ..." filter? You can put in part of a cache's name to find it. You don't have to know how the cache name BEGINS, just what the cache name CONTAINS. Seems that would be better than having to know what the cache name starts with, the way the 'old' search worked.

 

noncentric,

That feature is not available to non premium members on the new search page.

Yes, but losel2 is a Premium Member, and that is the cacher that I was replying to.

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WearyTraveler

+WearyTraveler

Posted
Posted

We may even search in regions (not by GS's gui design but with creating an appropriate search url - I use a GSAK macro for that):

 

Seaching for caches with keyword "Tower" in the name:

 

fc4497e96a583c118bdfa116fba197d9.png

 

located in West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina:

 

8b163d9113d0b45bec287d277509a4c5.png

 

Search Url

 

Result as List:

 

26a6c81362c4c4e80689c64a5ec2fcb0.png

 

Result on map:

 

a52e5f4ecaf954ad671a0f1d24ad5284.png

 

Searching by regions might be very handy whilst planning geocaching on cruises or the like. (ie: all scandinavian countries or all

mediterranean countries)

 

Hans

What GSAK macro is this?

Do you have to have the caches already in the DB or can the macro access GC site?

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WearyTraveler

+WearyTraveler

Posted
Posted

 

Your 16km mistake is a good example of how the new Search page isn't as intuitive as it could be. I (and many others) also ran into this issue when first using the updated page. I eventually figured it out from experience and from reading the forums, but I can see how many people would simply give up in despair.

 

 

Not to start a xxxxing contest, and I'm not just singling you out... I've seen many other members' posts about things not being intuitive- but it's like any tool or device. Learn how to use your tools... did you throw away your GPS before you learned all its features and configurations?

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